Doda, a Ground Opiate Poppy Used for Tea – Is a Growing Problem in Vancouver

Police in Vancouver Canada say ‘doda’ an opiate product that is easily bought under the counter in pawnshops and video stores, is a big problem in south Asian communities within the region. Area police just discovered a field of 60 000 poppy plants destined to feed the area’s growing hunger for the drug.

Doda is fairly commonly used in India
and Pakistan.
It is an opiate drug that is made by finely grinding the entire poppy pod into
a fine powder that is consumed, typically in an opiate tea. Although it’s not
as potent as refined products like heroin, it can cause similar effects and it
is addictive – and illegal.

Consuming doda can lead to euphoria and a burst of
energy, as well as less pleasant side effects like nausea and dizziness. In large
quantities, it can cause a fatal overdose.

Dr. Gulzar Cheema of Vancouver
says that in some communities, doda is as commonly used as marijuana and that
addiction is a growing problem. He says that for those that develop an
addiction to the opiate product, the recovery process can be very unpleasant, describing
symptoms such as "loss of appetite, tremors, panic, panic attacks…You get
stomach cramps; some people get diarrhea and vomiting."

Rajpal Singh, who works as an addictions councilor in the Surrey B.C. region says that among the South Asian
community, Doda addiction is the second most common problem – and says that the
situation is getting worse, saying, "It's spread a lot and it's spreading
more. It is a big problem."

Police say that they believe an organized crime syndicate is
behind the massive field of poppies just discovered. Two men who were employed
to tend the crop have been arrested.

Helpful Reading:

Users taking Suboxone to stave off the withdrawal pains of an opiate addiction aren't supposed to be able to abuse the medication. That was the idea anyway when the FDA approved the drug in 2002 for take-home use. Today's thriving street market for the drug has the FDA change its tune.

If you try to abuse Suboxone or you take it for the first time before you're feeling opiate withdrawal symptoms, you can go into precipitated withdrawal - which is a sudden and intense medication caused entry into opiate withdrawal symptoms. Learn how Suboxone can cause precipitated withdrawal and learn how to make sure you'll never have to experience it!